Mediterranean Games

Opening Ceremony - Pescara

On June 26th, 2009, Pescara hosted the Opening Ceremony of the XVI Mediterranean Games, where 30,000 spectators, 1,300 volunteer performers, and delegations from 23 nations joined in celebration. The IOC President Jacques Rogge honored the rugby team of L’Aquila, a symbol of resilience and rebirth of the region following the devastating earthquake.
The ceremony opened with a heartfelt tribute to L’Aquila Rugby, the Civil Protection Service, the Fire Brigade, and the Red Cross, representing all those who had worked to support Abruzzo after the tragedy. This strong display of solidarity underlined the powerful sense of humanity that guided the event.

The values of sport were also celebrated through the traditions, culture, and iconography of the host region. A central highlight of the evening was the “Water Ceremony”: during this symbolic ritual, each participating nation poured the water of its own sea into a single vessel, creating one shared basin as a metaphor for unity and peace across the Mediterranean shores.
For the first time in the history of the Mediterranean Games, the “Water Ceremony” was introduced during the opening, establishing a symbolic theme that would be carried on in future editions.